Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-15
DAILY HERALD.
GALIEoRNIA CANNERIES.
Excellent Prospects for thc Pre-
emit Seasons Fruit Packed

Excellent prospects Tor tme Fress
emit Seasons Fruit Packed ,
Excellent, very fine and never bet
ter before, were some of the opinions
given by prominent Gamers yesterday
when interviewed in reference to the
prospects of the fruit-canning season
now open. In fact, every one inter-
ested in the important industry were
certain that the orchard products will
be phenomenal, and that the Califor-
mia fruit pack of 1887 promises to be
one Of the finest in the history of the
industry. Good canning stock has
been too high priced to submit to the
hands OF inexperienced and poorly
equipped forces, and that mercenaries
have gained wisdom by experience and
have discreetly kept out of the market
this season. 1t is safe to say that II
the fruit pack this year is of only mod
crate proportions it will be one OF the
best ever put up in the State, and the
trade may securely contract for any OF
the brands of standard packs. That
the output of canned fruits in Califor-
mia will be the largest on record can
not be doubted when the Gamers have
all signifed their intentions OF running
their establishments under full pres
sure. Some will even enlarge their
capacities. :,
The thirty odd canneries in the
State have nearly all commenced
operations, but owing to the early
stage of the season the putting up OF
the most important class OF fruit has
not vet commenced. In the city the
principal fruits put up so far have been
cherries and apricots. The peaches in
market are not yet OF sufficiently
fine quality to sustain, if canned, the
enviable excellency OF California
canned peaches in the East; but
i'm a few weeks the choicer
brands may be procured in abundance,
and then the work of canning VIII
commence in earnest. Various vege-
table staples are also being packed,
but the most mportant-tOmatoes-
will not be plentiful enough for can
ming purposes before next month. 1t
is too early to indulge in statistics or
make rough estimates, but from pres
ent appearances it is safe to say that
this seasons output will be extensive
enough to supply all domestic and for
eign demands. At least this is the sem
timent of the principal consumers of
fruit, the Gamers. Their experience
is that the superiority of fruits canned
in this State over those of the Eastern
States remains undisputed. The fine
flavor of the fruits and the improved
system OF packing employed here gives
California canned goods the preference
in Eastern and foreign markets. The
present prospects of the canning indus
try in this State are therefore very en-
couraging- What the heads of some
of the most important canneries have
to say upon the subject will be of con-
siderable interest. When questioned in
reference to the matter, f. s. john
son, manager for William I. Coleman
K Co., said: "There has been very
large crop of California fruits. This
has caused low prices to be made for
the raw product, which enabled the
Gamers to buy low, and caused low
figures to be made for the canned
article. The transcontinental rail-
roads have reduced the rate of freight
on canned goods to Eastern States, to
compete with the Panama line and the
Canadian Pacific. All this has caused
the LAYING down of California canned
goods in the Eastern States, in the
great markets of Chicago, st. Louis
and points on the Missouri river and
in New York, at 25 per cent. lower
than last years prices. This has
caused larger quantities of California
canned goods to be sold than
ever before. The probable sales of
canned goods up to date, of futures, is
larger than of any twelve months in
any previous year. Prices paid show
a fair margin of profit. Some brands
have sold better than others. They
are brands that have kept up the STAN
-dard of quality in the past, and have
packed no poor goods. Every year
has demonstrated more and more that
when the people of the Eastern
States buy California canned goods in
preference to Eastern canned goods,
they do it to get an extra quality, and
they will not buy poor California
canned goods. 1t is only the best
packs that get a fair price and make
money.
A representative of the King-Morse
Canning Company was next interro-
gated. He said that very encouraging
reports had been received from all the
fruit-growing sections of the State.
The outlook for the coming season was
excellent and never better. Large or
ders had been received for futures.
The prices were not quite as high as
last year, but there was good and
STEADY demand in the East for first
class California goods. The heads of
several other large canneries expressed
similar views.
The salmon canning industry, which
for several years has outranked that
OF fruit canning, however, does not
look SO encouraging, owing to the re-
ports of scarcity of fish. From this
1t would seem that the forty canneries
engaged in putting up salmon in this
State will not make as good showing
or as large profits as last year. Adj
vices from the Columbia river report
the pack considerably oversold, with
but slim prospect Of any improve
ment until near the end of the month.
A prominent broker in this city made
the following statement in reference
to salmon packing:
"In my opinion the Columbia river
has been fished out. The packers
have taken about 1900, 900 fish year
for nearly twenty years, and it is only
natural that the river should give
indications of a failure in the
supply of salmon. The Sacramento
river is total failure this year, and
the Columbia river might become the
same way in a year or two more. The
packers cannot begin to fill their con-
tracts this year. The pack is now
short about 100, 900 or 150, 900 cases."
The Sacramento river pack will not
exceed 5000 cases, but it is said that
the Alaska pack will help out the sit
uation to some extent. As the season
advances the catch may become heav-
he L Il